After tasting massive success with a super hero film ‘HanuMan’, young actor Sajja Tejja is raring to go with different roles. The child actor-turned-hero is also open to working in Bollywood movies, if he gets the right script. In an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle, Tejja says he’s game for competition in Tollywood and looking to climb up the ladder of success slowly.Did you expect that your superhero act would turn out to be a big winner?I had immense belief in the idea and the novelty of the concept to our Indian audiences from the very beginning. I was confident about the product, but the outpour of love has surpassed all expectations. I couldn’t be more thrilled at the moment. It drives me to be on the lookout for more unconventional ideas going forward.How did you prepare for HanuMan?From the acting point of view, I didn’t need any additional preparation as such. Just a couple of factors— like consciously directing my efforts towards picking up a local slang and adapting myself to fit the part of a rural boy. There was no requirement of a body transformation for the movie, but the action sequences were sapping. I pushed myself to the edge many times during the shoot process but in the end, it was definitely all worth it!You also did a comedy Zombie Reddy with director Prashanth Varma? What is your equation with the director?I’ve known Prasanth for about a decade now. Our bond lies on a strong foundation of friendship. We have been through the highs and lows together. Our thought processes with regard to many aspects about films are similar and that just makes it a whole lot easier to work as a team. HanuMan is our labor of love and I’m really glad we got to work on it together. With the super success of HanuMan, is there a possibility of turning it into a franchise?Jai Hanuman has already been announced and works regarding the development of a cinematic universe are in the offing. HanuMan is just the tip of the iceberg for the lineup planned in the years to come. You impressed as a child artiste in films like Indra and Choodalani Undi. Did that experience help?I began working at a very young age and spent most of my time around many moguls of the industry during the formative years of my life. It helped me build a solid know-how of the way this business runs and has definitely given me a sense of direction and clarity for the future I envision for myself.With HanuMan wooing the Hindi audience, would you be open to a straight Bollywood film?They say never say never. I love where I belong, I love my home audience. That said, if a script really excites me, I don’t think any barrier would deter me from taking it up. I have a long way to go, let’s see what life has in store for me.Tollywood has several talented heroes, are you game for competition?The only thing I am obsessed with is being better than I was yesterday and making progress with my own career trajectory. This field has enough to offer to everyone that wants to work here. The key is to find your own niche. I want Indian cinema as a whole to thrive and flourish.Lover boy or action-driven roles—What’s your pick?Action driven roles, anyday! The adrenaline rush that comes with it hits different. There’s an excitement to be on set each day and it’s very thrilling to work on such projects. I don’t mind experimenting with any lover boy roles in the future. But I guess I’ll always be looking for at least a little bit of a spice up even there. Guilty as charged! Tell us about your upcoming projects?We just started shooting for an action adventure. It will again be close to our Indian roots. The film will be a visual spectacle and I am super excited to be on the sets.
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